Inside an art gallery, it is easy to forget that the paintings there are the end products of a process involving not only creative inspiration, but also plenty of physical and logistical details. It is these "cruder," more mundane aspects of a painter's daily routine that motivated Brooklyn artist Joe Fig to embark almost ten years ago on a highly unorthodox, multilayered exploration of the working life of the professional artist. Determined to ground his research in the physical world, Fig began constructing a series of diorama-like miniature reproductions of the studios of modern art's most legendary painters, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. A desire for firsthand references led Fig to approach contemporary artists for access to their studios. Armed with a camera and a self-made "Artist's Questionnaire," Fig began a journey through the workspaces of some of today's most exciting contemporary artists.

Inside the Painter's Studio collects twenty-four remarkable artist interviews, as well as exclusive visual documentation of their studios. Featured artists were asked a wide range of questions about their day-to-day creative life, covering everything from how they organize their studios to what painting tools they prefer. Artists open up about how they set a creative mood, how they choose titles, and even whether they sit or stand to contemplate their work. Also included are a selection of Fig's meticulously detailed miniatures. In this context Fig's diminutive sculptures--reproducing minutiae of the studio, from paint-tube labels and paint splatters on the floor to the surface texture of canvases--become part of a fascinating new form of portraiture as diorama. Inside the Painter's Studio offers a rare look into the self-made universe of the artist's studio. Inside the Painter's Studio features interviews with Gregory Amenoff, Ross Bleckner, Chuck Close, Will Cotton, Inka Essenhigh, Eric Fischl, Barnaby Furnas, April Gornik, Jane Hammond, Mary Heilmann, Bill Jensen, Ryan McGinness, Julie Mehretu, Malcolm Morley, Steve Mumford, Philip Pearlstein, Matthew Ritchie, Alexis Rockman, Dana Schutz, James Siena, Amy Sillman, Joan Snyder, Billy Sullivan, and Fred Tomaselli.
Joe Fig is an artist born and raised in Long Island, New York."Fig's work has been exhibited extensively throughout the United States. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Editorial Reviews

15 Books for Creative Domination, The 99 Percent:
"Artist Joe Fig digs deep into the painters creative process as he describes the daily routines of 24 painters using text, photographs, and miniature models. So what do Chuck Close, Mary Heilmann, Ryan McGinness, Dana Schutz, Fred Tomaselli, and more all have in common? They work incessantly, and follow rigorous daily routines."

The Little Work of Joe Fig, Selectism:
"Modern Painters is a monthly art magazine we subscribe to over at Billykirk and the other day I was paging through the March 09 issue and came across some new miniature artist studio sculptures by Joe Fig. I have always been a fan of smaller scale sculpture work, not the name engraved on rice stuff but well executed, detailed miniatures from HO trains to toy soldiers. I have attached a few of his pieces below. He also has a new book, Inside the Painters Studio coming out in October. The book includes 24 artist interviews and rare snap shots of the artists studios including Erik Fischl, Chuck Close and Will Cotton. If you are into this sort of work Joe is having a book signing and artist reception at the Hendershot Gallery in NYC on 10/15/09. To read the full review on selectism.com click HERE."
— Chris Bray

Lots of eggs and lots of baskets, J. Howard Paintings:
"I recently purchased Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig mainly to see how other artists organize and design their studios considering that I'm in the process of doing so. Joe Fig has a list of questions that touch upon the design of the studio, the artist's work habits, rationale for their work and advice for other artists. I'm amazed at how differently each painter works, but more amazed at the similarities. There are some things about me I just think are, well individual quarks and come to find out they're quarks shared by most of my artistic siblings as well. I was amazed at how many figurative painters share the same studio practice of using photo references as I do. In regards to why I purchased the book. I figure if your remodeling your house you'd go out and buy books that showcase the style your into."
— Jonathan Howard

Inside the Painters Studio, DREAMS:
"Inside an art gallery, it is easy to forget that the paintings there are the end products of a process involving not only creative inspiration, but also plenty of physical and logistical details. It is these cruder, more mundane aspects of a painters daily routine that motivated Brooklyn artist Joe Fig to embark almost ten years ago on a highly unorthodox, multilayered exploration of the working life of the professional artist. Determined to ground his research in the physical world, Fig began constructing a series of diorama-like miniature reproductions of the studios of modern arts most legendary painters, such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. A desire for firsthand references led Fig to approach contemporary artists for access to their studios."

Touring Twenty-Four Artist Studios in One Book, Habit of Art:
"Inside the Painter's Studio is an insider's look into the studios and work routines of twenty-four New York artists. Whether you're an aspiring artist, an accomplished artist, or an avid fan of art, Inside the Painter's Studio is a great addition to any art book collection. "
— Cathy McMurray

Modern Painters:
"In Joe Figs intricate models, the cult of the artist-at-work is brougt down to scale."
— Tom Vanderbilt

Creative Domination, Graphicji:
"Artist Joe Fig digs deep into the painters creative process as he describes the daily routines of 24 painters using text, photographs, and miniature models. So what do Chuck Close, Mary Heilmann, Ryan McGinness, Dana Schutz, Fred Tomaselli, and more all have in common? They work incessantly, and follow rigorous daily routines."

I Am Utterly In Love, Works By Tracy Helgeson:
"I just received Inside the Painter's Studio by artist Joe Fig the other day and I am so in love with it that I can't actually sit down and read it. I keep it near me all day and have paged through it, have looked at all the pictures but I am enjoying the anticipation of reading the interviews with the artists. So much so that I don't want to spoil all that by actually reading them. Makes sense, right? Like most artists, I REALLY REALLY like seeing other artist's studios and learning about their studio habits. I like to enlarge the photos I see online and just pore over every detail. Love seeing all the art supplies, art in progress, along with piles of junk, and all the quirky little things most artists have on hand for no apparent reason. Here is a good article about Joe's book, along with some good images of the painter's studios. And in a feeble attempt to position myself as a painter with a real studio (that's a self-deprecating joke, people!) I am posting a photo of my project table, which I love almost as much as this book. To read the full review on worksbytracy.blogspot.com click HERE."
— Tracy Helgeson

A Voyeuristic Look Inside the Painters Studio, Flavor Wire:
"Inside the Painters Studio, a collection of interviews by artist Joe Fig, explores the practice of 24 contemporary painters by delving into their quotidian habits and customs. Beyond some fascinating insight into the head space behind the easel, weve also gleaned a few tidbits that would make for interesting trivia."
— Kelsey Keith

New Books, Tony Pinto Art Blog:
"Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig is a series of interviews with painters who detail the day-to-day process of how they make art - what time they get up, what kind of paint they use, etc. Really great book for those of us who are curious about how work actually gets made."
— Tony Pinto

Studio Envy, Marions Painting Blog:
"Don't look at these photos of painting studios unless you want to experience some serious studio envy. All that space! All those huge canvasses! Cue the green-eyed monster... To read the full review on painting.about.com click HERE."
— Marion Boddy-Evans

Returns Department, Two Coats of Paint: Articles, Reviews, Writing about Painting:
"Thanks Princeton Architectural Press, for sending a copy of Joe Fig's new book, Inside the Painter's Studio. Throughout the blogosphere artists and critics are raving about this book, and so I was pleased that it arrived in the mail this afternoon. When I brought it home, J took one look at it and his face fell. He had just ordered it for my Christmas gift."
— Sharon L. Butler

A new book for Artists..., Poeartica:
"Inside the Painter's Studio collects twenty-four remarkable artist interviews, as well as exclusive visual documentation of their studios. Featured artists were asked a wide range of questions about their day-to-day creative life, covering everything from how they organize their studios to what painting tools they prefer. Artists open up about how they set a creative mood, how they choose titles, and even whether they sit or stand to contemplate their work. Also included are a selection of Fig's meticulously detailed miniatures. To read the full review on poeartica.blogspot.com click HERE."

Wishlist, Linebreak:
"Inside the Painters Studio by Joe Fig reminds me of Linebreaks series Where the Magic Happens both glimpse where art is created, but in regard to painters and poets, respectively. While Inside the Painters Studio gives you 214 photographs of the studios belonging to famous painters, Fig also takes a time-out to ask each painter about their process and their beliefs about art. Fascinating."
— Ashley Anna McHugh

Turntable Lab:
"Freaking brilliant. This book is exactly what the art world needs: some behind the scenes reality reporting (works with sports and music, why not art?). This book is the culmination of 10 years of work from Joe Fig. Armed with a camera and Artist Questionnaire, Fig began a journey through the workspaces of some of today's most exciting contemporary artists. This book gives you unprecedented access to the work spaces and inner thoughts of some of modern art's biggest names. Taking it to the obsessive level (that's what we want), Fig goes as far as creating detailed diorama-like miniature reproductions of each studio. To read the full review on turntablelab.com click HERE."

Artists at Work: Muralmorphosis and Inside the Painters Studio, The Art Blog:
"Its a wonderful book for artists and for anyone whos a voyeur of other peoples work spaces. For art historians, collectors or other art lovers it has the same appeal as paintings that show studio spaces: it brings us closer to the artists and hints at their working habits. Some studios resemble industrial spaces while others have a domestic feel. One artist lines up paint tubes like toy soldiers and another assembles chaotic arrays. We get to see the photos, post cards and ephemera that artists tack to their bulletin boards. Its a secondhand intimacy, but seductive nonetheless."
— Andrea Kirsh

He Shrunk Andy Warhol, ARTnews:
"For the past nine years, artist Joe Fig has been taking art lovers inside his colleagues studios - not quite literally, but through painstakingly crafted sculptural facsimilies, all scaled one inch to the foot. In one of them, fig shows a tiny Ryan McGinness screenprinting a dizzying canvas in his Chinatown space. In another, a diminutive Inka Essenhigh rests on a couch in her Lower East Side Studio. "
— Rachel Wolff

The Year in Books, Bruces Musings:
"This just in: Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig a book of photos and interviews with painters, very east coast centric but full of interesting and useful information about studios, work habits and creativity."
— Bruce Ulrich

Inside the Painters Studio, TIM MCFARLANEart + life stirred vigorously:
"In his new book, Inside the Painters Studio, artist Joe Fig documents the day-to-day lives of 24 contemporary artists with photos of their studios, notes on their work habits, and interviews about where and how they make art. In addition, Figs own sculptures are shownminiature reproductions of the artists themselves in the process of creating, a spellbinding sort of diorama as portraiture. For any artist, historian, or art fan, theres fascinating stuff in the minutia about gear and paint brands, and also the larger questions about what it takes to get up every morning and go paint. As Chuck Close says, Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work."
— Tim McFarlane

Book By Its Cover:
"...It blows my mind how incredibly crafted these little dioramas are! Every tiny paint tube, paint splatter, dirty palette, and rag is recreated at a tiny scale- even some of the artists at work. Joe visited these painters, Fred Tomaselli, Amy Sillman, Chuck Close, Ryan McGinness, to see their studios firsthand for reference. He also interviewed each of the artists about their work and their studio. He asked them questions like When you are contemplating your work do you sit or stand? or How far along are you on this painting. I love reading the personal honest answers from the artists. These interviews, pictures of his dioramas, and photos of the real space are all collected in this interesting book which you get right here."
— Julia Rothman

Inside the Painters Studio, The Morning News:
"In his new book, Inside the Painters Studio, artist Joe Fig documents the day-to-day lives of 24 contemporary artists with photos of their studios, notes on their work habits, and interviews about where and how they make art. In addition, Figs own sculptures are shownminiature reproductions of the artists themselves in the process of creating, a spellbinding sort of diorama as portraiture. To read the full review on themorningnews.org click HERE."
— Rosecrans Baldwin

Elizabeth Rushing, The Map of Your World:
"A couple of Sundays ago, I stumbled upon this book, Inside the Painter's Studio by Joe Fig. The book is a compilation of 24 artist interviews and detailed photographs of their studios. Originally intended to serve as research material for Fig's personal artwork, the author realized the information for the gem it is and transformed it into a book. It's just the sort of thing I've been looking for. With interviews of such artists as Chuck Close, Eric Fischl and Joan Snyder, among others, Inside the Painter's Studio portrays artists that are already in art history texts or on the brink of the renown."

The Rest of Us Just Show Up and Get to Work , Edward_Winkleman:
"I'll go out on a limb here and say that if you love the dialog around contemporary painting, you're very likely to love this book as much as I do. Truly, I've spent hours with this book (the photos are as eye-opening as the interviews) and can pick it up and re-read it over and over. "
— Edward Winkleman

The Art Shelf, The Midwest Book Review:
"An art gallery is the end result of not just painting but physical displays and a painters daily routine. Artist Joe Fig explores the working life of the professional artist in a presentation tat collections over twenty artist interviews and visual documentation of their studios. It was originally intended to serve as research material but provides a powerful resource for painters who want to know how art is achieved, from coming up with titles to collaborative efforts. Any artists library needs this."
— Diane C. Donovan

Flavor Pill:
"Nearly ten years ago, in an effort to explore the working methods of artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, Brooklyn artist Joe Fig began constructing a series of diorama-like mini reproductions of their studios. The research ultimately led to Figs book, Inside the Painters Studio, which includes interviews with Chuck Close, Mary Heilmann, Ryan McGinness, Steve Mumford, Alexis Rockman, and others about their creative process, alongside photos snapped in their studio spaces."

Creative Influences:
"Inside the Painters Studio by Joe Fig. Fig asks 24 artists a series of questions while visiting them in their New York City area studios. There are photographs of the studios as well as Joe Figs own sculptures of each artist working in the studio."